As nuclear reactors are operated, metal surfaces gradually corrode, and become coated with highly radioactive deposits. In order to operate the reactor properly and to perform maintenance on it, it is necessary to remove these radioactive deposits. This is generally accomplished by the use of chemical decontamination processes. In these processes, aqueous solutions containing chelants and organic acids are passed over the metal surfaces to solubilize and remove the compounds that form the deposits. While these processes are effective in decontaminating the metal surfaces, the chelants used in the processes end up as part of the radioactive process waste and must be disposed of as radioactive waste. Unfortunately, most burial sites for radioactive waste have maximum levels on the chelants and organic acids which are permissible in the waste. As a result, either the waste must be specially disposed of at increased cost or the chelants and organic acids must be removed from the waste before it is sent to the burial site.